Game Name – Westerado: Double Barreled
Platform(s) – PC/Mac
Developer(s) – Ostrich Banditos
Genre(s) – Western/Adventure
Release Date – 4/16/2015
Price – $14.99
Game provided for review from Adult Swim Games
Westerns may not be as popular or as fun as they used to be, but you couldn’t tell by playing Westerado: Double Barreled.
Part of the Adult Swim Games indie game initiative, Ostrich Banditos’ open-world adventure takes you into the world of a cowboy, whose mother and brother were murdered and he must find the man responsible. In order to do so, however, you must gather clues about the killer from the people you encounter during your adventure. Sometimes, the clues are easy to come by, but other times, it may take a little…persuasion, if you will.
Don’t worry, as fun as it might be to draw your gun, and straight shoot someone square in the face, you can just as easily exchange favors for clues about the murderer’s appearance, from his jacket color, to his belt buckle, and even what type of hat and bandana he wears, and so on and so forth. Every clue you get brings you closer to the identity, and don’t worry, the game randomizes the details of the murderer, adding to the replay value.
Combat is fairly simple, but can be complicated, as shooting is restricted to horizontal plane shooting. While this adds difficulty to the game, when attackers swarm from the top or bottom of the screen, it can get complicated and cumbersome, especially with the one button at a time reload system, but the fun factor never removes itself from the game and that is perfectly fine. Your health is represented in the upper left corner of the screen by three hats, and for every shot you take, you lose one hat, but if you’re precise enough, you can shoot the hats off of your enemies to refill your health meter.
Remember when I said that you can do favors in exchange for clues to the identity of the murderer of your family? That’s not the only thing that you can do favors for. You can earn money to upgrade your clothing, as well as your guns and weapons, with a well rounded selection of weapons, such as dual revolvers, rifles, and bolas. I used my six-shooter for my entire playthough, but you can get better or more challenging weapons throughout the game.
Westerado: Double Barreled isn’t a terribly long game. It will last you approximately 90 minutes per playthrough, however, with the random nature of the antagonist’s features, as well as the open nature of the world, which isn’t terribly large, but filled with lots of things to do, you’ll get several playthroughs of this game, a great time killer on a random rainy day.
*Game provided for review from Adult Swim Games
Summary
All in all, Westerado: Double Barreled provides an experience akin to Red Dead Redemption, but in a condensed and simpler fashion. The story is streamlined enough for repeated play. For $15, this game is certainly worth the money that you’ll be putting up.
Pros
- Story is simple enough to follow.
- Soundtrack is fun to listen to while playing for extended periods.
- The game makes you feel accomplished when you succeed.
- Combat is simple and effective.
- There is a lot to do in the game world.
Cons
- Linear combat can get convoluted when swarmed
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Westerado: Double Barreled is probably the best indie game people aren't talking about.
